Senior Year
by AstrophilnStella'sCourtlyLove
Summary: Senior year has just gotten a lot more complicated for Troy and Bella. "Bella he's like you best guy friend. Since when do you have feelings for him?" Pepper asked. Bella slouched back into her pillows. "The exact moment I kissed him."
1. Who do you call?

**Senior Year**

 **Chapter one- Who do you call?**

"Bella that color is so cute." Pepper squealed taking the light pink lipstick from Bella's hand.

"Don't get me started." Bella replied adjusting her blonde curls in front of the mirror.

The girls were huddled in front of the vanity in Bella's room. They were getting ready for the back to school bash at the Starcade. It was the beginning of the festive weekend before their senior year begun. Things were kicking off at the Starcade followed by Sawyer's barn party Saturday night.

"Come on we all look amazing any more adjusting and we're going to be late." Sophie huffed. "I am not starting my senior year by missing out on the first party of Senior year." Sophie chided finishing lacing her knee high boots.

"Okay okay." Bella said with one last look in the mirror. The girls filed out of Bella's room with Bella leading the charge. At the foot of the staircase was Bella's mom and she almost grunted at the impending blockage to her senior bliss.

"Bella, girls."

Sophie and Pepper exchange knowing looks knowing exactly what was going to happen.

"Hey mom. Can't talk on our way out." Bella said ushering Sophie and Pepper ahead of her. Her best friends shuffled to the door as fast as possible but Bella's mom cut them off.

"Bella it can't wait." her mom called behind her.

Bella sagged her shoulders and looked at her friends apologetically.

"Fine. I'll catch up with you guys later." Bella told Pepper and Sophie.

"Are you sure?" Pepper asked with one foot already out the door.

"Yeah, I'm sure." Bella sighed looking at her mom.

Once the girls left Bella sat next to her mom on the couch.

"It really couldn't wait sweetheart. I've been trying to work up the nerve to talk to you whole summer. But it can't wait."

"Mom what's this about?" Bella asked now flooding with nerves at the serious tone of her mother's voice.

"Everything's fine sweetheart but you're going into your senior year."

"I am. What's wrong?"

"Have you given any thought to your future? College."

"Of course I have. It's football. Obviously. It's always been football." Bella said giving her mother a confused stare.

"I know you love the sport sweetheart but it's just not practical."

"You're kidding right? Mom, Troy and half the team already have scholarship offers."

"Exactly sweetpea. You play better than half your team. You don't think you would have received an offer if you were going to get one by now?"

Of course the thought had been hovering in the back of her mind whole summer but hearing it out loud and from her mother plummeted Bella into a pit of depression. She had planned to play harder than she ever did this semester to get herself a scholarship but the odds weren't in her favor. She was crying before she knew it.

"Sweetheart I'm sorry I didn't mean to upset you."she said pulling Bella in for a hug.

"You didn't. Silverado has really changed, broken down the barriers for female footballers but-"

"The rest of the world hasn't caught up yet. Don't let this damper your senior year, you just have to find something else you're passionate about."

"You're right mom." Bella said standing up and drying her eyes.

"That's the spirit. You go enjoy that party."

Bella smiled sadly and swiftly left the house. It took her all of five minutes to completely breakdown. With blurry vision she pulled out her phone to call her friends. Sophie and Pepper probably hadn't reached to the Starcade yet but that's not who she called. This was technically a football problem and Bella couldn't think of football without thinking of-

"Troy," she sobbed, "hey, I really need you right now."

* * *

Bella heard his loud thudding steps climbing the bleachers. She rose her head up from her lap and wiped at her tears. Troy looked at her with concern in his white t-shirt and jeans.

"Sorry I pulled you away from the party." she offered as he sat next to her at the top of the bleachers.

"It's all good. Party was a stinker anyway." he said nonchalantly.

Bella glanced over at him with disbelieving eyes.

"Okay fine the party is amazing. Pepper and Sawyer are practically dry humping on the dance, Alonso and Sophie are either fighting or making out in the women's bathroom and Newt snuck some vodka from his dad's liquor cabinet and we know how well he takes his alcohol." Troy said excitedly only simmering down when Bella stifled a sob. "But never mind that. What's going on Belles?"

"I don't know what to do Troy." She sobbed letting her tears fall freely again.

Troy wrapped his arms around her shaking shoulders and pulled her closer to him.

"Bella talk to me. Please." he pleaded desperately.

Bella sobered enough to tell Troy about her conversation with her mother. By then the tears had subsided and she felt almost numb.

"Belles listen to me..." Troy said but Bella stared off at the football field stoicly.

"Was I crazy?" she asked rhetorically so he didn't answer. "Why did I think it was going to be like this forever. Me, you-the guys and football. Had I gone completely mad."

"Well what good will it do you moping around?" he asked with a harshness Bella didn't appreciate.

"What?" She finally looked at him.

"You have the entire year to reinvent yourself. You don't have to give up football right now. Right now it is still me, you and the team. You haven't lost it yet. This is our last year together Belles. Do you really want to spend it moping around and thinking about your doomed future?"

"Easy for you to say Mr. Three scholarships."

"That I haven't decided on yet. Yeah I'm Mr. Shit together. I'm not worried for you Bella. If anyone can do it, you can." He nudged her with his shoulder and she finally smiled.

"I'll help of course. Quid pro quo. I help you go through brochures and personality test and you help me past History."

"Troy I've been tutoring you since middle school. You didn't have to ask."

"Well I barely saw you this Summer. You and Zach were painting the town I hear." Troy said teasingly.

"Heard from who? And you're one to talk. Which two airheads are you juggling at the moment?"

"See this is why we needed to meet up and catch up. The Troy is flying single Senior year."

Bella feigned trembling. "Is that a chill in the air? Has hell frozen over? Of course it has because Troy is single."

"Okay... I deserved that one. But those girls...too much drama. I could do with a lot less of that. If I am going to be eligible for any of those scholarship I need a miracle for my grades."

"I got you." Bella said.

The two friends looked at each other and fist bumped as affectionately as if it were a hug.

"What do you say? Should we go to that party after all?" he asked.

"Yeah why not. This is our Senior year after all. You drive here?"

He nodded as they both stood up. He surprised her by pulling her into a hug. His big frame almost swallowed her up. She felt so reassured in his arms with his chin resting on top of her head.

That was when she knew everything would be fine.


	2. The kiss

**Senior Year**

 **Chapter Two- The kiss**

"How could you not be coming tonight?" Bella cooed from her spot next to Zach in the tray of his truck.

"You're tempting Bella." He pecked her lips but pulled away. "I may be dating an Eagle but I am still a Ram and I'm loyal if anything."

"Whatever." she said scrunching up her nose at him. The two had somehow managed playing on opposing teams and even though Bella really liked him, her team came first. "However are you going to make it up to me?" she pried playfully.

"I've got a few ideas." He smiled and rolled over on top of her crushing his lips to hers. She gladly opened up her mouth to his prying tongue and sighed contently as his tongue tangled with hers. Her entire body was set aflame by his roaming hands running over every inch of her body he could get his hands on. Her own hands had wrapped around his neck and tangling in the hair at the nape of his neck. Bella completely lost herself in the sensations she almost didn't feel when he slipped his hand under skirt. She urged him on until his ministrations stopped. She looked up at him still cloudy from lust.

"What's wrong."

"Well we haven't talked exactly and I got the lecture about consent."

Bella giggled and sat up. "You have my consent. I'm ready. I've been ready. I love you Zach."

"I love you too."

She grinned and recaptured his lips immediately going for the buttons at his shirt but he pulled away again.

"What now?" she groaned.

"I don't have protection on me. Wrong day to wear my khakis I guess."

She pushed at his shoulder playfully and straightened her rumpled clothes.

"To be continued then?" she asked.

"You can bet on it." He smiled. "We should get going anyway. I still wanna drop you off before I head to my senior bon fire I don't know what time it'll finish though."

"It's cool. Troy can give me a ride home."

* * *

When Bella got out of Zach's truck her friends hooted and hollered at them. Bella rolled her eyes and joined them in the barn. The entire football team was there along with most of their classmates. She went directly to her friends huddled in a corner near stacks of hay. Pepper and Sophie were sitting on large bundles of hay. Pepper sat nursing a red solo cup and Sophie sat with Alonso between her thighs. The two had met when Alonso transferred in Sophomore year. Just when they thought nobody could keep up with Sophie Alonso came and gave her a run for her money.

"Where's your arm candy Bella."

"With his own friends." she fired back folding her arms.

"Yeah okay. You missed a spot by the way." Troy said wiping the side of his mouth to show her where her lip-gloss had smudged.

"Why don't you make yourself useful and get me a beer." Bella said ignoring his comment but still allowing Pepper to wipe the smudged lip-gloss for her.

"Queen B has spoken." Troy teased. He and Sawyer disappeared to get everyone more beers.

"Go get busy Al. I gotta talk with my girls." Sophie said.

"Are you telling me to get lost Chiquita?"

"Give me a minute papi."

"This one time." he said before planting a sloppy kiss on her lips. Bella and Pepper exchanged gagging sounds when he left.

"Sooo..." Pepper sing sung when they were alone.

"Nothing happened." Bella sighed. "He didn't have protection."

"Is there a cockblocking ghost hunting you mama. There never seem to be good timing for you and Zach."

"I'm painfully aware of that Soph. How did I become the only virgin here?"

"What can I say?" Sophie bragged. "Me and Al were on the same wavelength."

Pepper shrugged. "And Sawyer and I were drunk."

"Speaking of Sawyer..." Bella wagged her eyebrows. "Are you two on again for Senior year."

"Hardly. We still argue like an old married couple. Most days he repulses me."

"And other days?" Sophie asked.

"Other days I can't get his stupid face out of my head." Pepper lamented with a pout.

"Come on chicas. This my song." Sophie said grabbing her friends by their hands and leading them to makeshift dance floor. It was a piece of ply set in the middle of the barn. Before they knew the guys had joined them with their beers. Every song was their last song and Bella danced as long as her feet would carry her.

* * *

"Last empty bottle of the night." Sawyer said waiting beads of the brown liquor pour into his cup. It was well into the night now. Most of the crowd had gone home. Sophie, Pepper, Newt, Troy, Sawyer and a few of the footballers were the only ones left.

"Who's up for some spin the bottle." he yelled.

They were all sufficiently buzzed so anything would have sounded like a good idea. They cheered him on as they formed a circle in the middle of the barn. Bella sat cross legged with Pepper and Sophie on either side of her.

"My idea so I go first-" Sawyer said but Troy interrupted him. "Wait what are the rules?"

"You have to kiss the person it lands. For at least ten seconds." Sawyer said.

"What's the penalty if you don't?" Troy said.

"Diving into the lake." Sophie said with a devilish smirk.

"It's freezing this hour of the night." Bella said, she hated the cold.

"Exactly." Sophie elaborated. "Everybody game?"

Sawyer nodded. "If anyone wants to back out now is the time."

Nobody moved so Sawyer spun the bottle beginning the game.

* * *

"Ohhh" they cheered. "Bella it's time to kiss your frog." Newt said.

Bella was mortified as the bottle landed on Troy. She didn't know she had never considered the bottle landing on Troy.

Bella and Troy looked at each other and fell into fits of laughter.

"Come on you can't expect me to kiss Belles. That's like incest." Troy said.

"Then meet your cold water end." Sophie said evilly.

"Let's give it a go." Troy said. She leaned into him but when their faces were only inches apart they couldn't stop laughing.

"Come on you two. Time to take a dip." Sawyer said. They all got up and headed to the lake a mile from the barn.

Bella and Troy backed by the others walked over to the lake. Bella was already shaking from the impending cold.

"We can't do this can we?" Tory said to Bella at the edge of the lake. The others were a few feet behind them chanting for them to jump in.

"This is silly Belles. You're like me best girl friend." Troy said turning to Bella. "Come here."

Bella chuckled but it died on her lips when Troy held her in his strong arms and leaned into her. His incredibly masculine scent fogged her mind as he latched his lips on to hers. Bella was almost stunned at the demanding way he kissed her. She had never felt to turned on in her life and almost moaned as his lips caressed hers. The kiss deepened and his hands tangled in her hair as he titled her head back for easier access. She moved with him and her own hand came to rest on his strong chest.

If not for the yelling of their friends behind them Bella would have stayed there and kissed him forever. When they finally parted the teasing of their friends was almost mute as Bella and Troy stared at each other intensely. A collage of emotions flashed across their eyes. Both knew nothing would be the same again between them.


	3. The Aftermath

**Senior Year**

 **Chapter Three- The Aftermath.**

Bella and Troy's kiss had finished the game of spin the bottle, thankfully. It was amazing how she and Troy avoided each other in the scarce barn for the rest of the night. Bella stayed close to her girls and Troy helped Sawyer dismantle the sound system. The party was finally over, and while the boys dismantled and did the heavy lifting, the others waited for their rides home. Bella, Pepper and Sophie sat on one heap of hay. The girls' skin were slick with sweat from the exciting night. Sophie passed around a packet of gum, just in case the stench of beer lingered on anyone's breath.

"Senior year is going to be killer." Sophie declared quietly.

Bella couldn't agree, she still had no inkling as to what she wanted to do-besides football. This year she would have to completely reinvent herself and face the grim fact that she may not be able to continue playing football. Right now, she didn't want to talk about school, or college or the future. She just wanted to bask in the now. And in the now, she was still recovering from that electric kiss with Troy. Who knew he could kiss like that? He kissed her like he needed her. She wasn't sure if that scared her more than the fact that she had liked it way more than she should.

As if he knew she was thinking about him, Troy looked back and their eyes met. It was a non-verbal conversation with their eyes, only Bella didn't know what was being said. She looked just as stunned as he did, but there was that underlying smoldering gaze that told her tonight would not be the last time they would kiss. She bit her lip with anticipation a moment before she came to her senses.

Bella peeled her gaze off of him, breaking their connection. "How are you getting home Pepper?" Bella asked, trying to distract herself.

"Sawyer said he would take me." Pepper replied.

Sophie and Bella wagged their eyebrows suggestively, teasing Pepper.

"Oh shut up." she scolded them.

Bella laughed shaking her head. "Why are you and Sawyer pretending you weren't made for each other. Face it Pep, all roads lead to Sawyer for you."

Pepper shook her head. "Are you crazy. When ever we're exclusive we argue like crazy. We don't work as a couple." Pepper said convicted.

"I don't know mama, senior year might surprise you." Sophie said.

"Sophie is right. We've all grown up." Bella said. That's why she wasn't going to let a stupid kiss with Troy scramble her brains.

Pepper shook her head denying everything they were selling. "Hey Pepper, could you come help me with this." Sawyer called from behind her. Even though Pepper's eyes lit up when Sawyer called her name.

Sophie turned to Bella as Pepper went over to Sawyer to help him take down the string of lights he had up.

"How long do you give them?" Sophie asked Bella.

Bella shrugged. "I say at least two weeks into the semester."

* * *

They were quiet. Bella and Troy talked more than anyone else, they usually had to talk over each other to get their point across but tonight, they were quiet. What had they done? At the time it seemed like a friendly game, now, she had her doubts. If their friendship was affected for a few blissful seconds, Bella didn't know what she would do. It felt like a dam had just been released, a dam of feelings she never even knew she had. Why could she still feel him on her lips? She almost rose her hand to touch her lips but caught herself and cleared her throat. They drove on in silence until Troy seemed to have had enough.

"Fun party." Troy said, the awkwardness was palpable.

"So fun. But I'm exhausted. I wanted to sleep for days." she tried back. The mood just wouldn't lift. The small space of the car was electric.

"I hear you." Troy replied. Bella almost audibly cheered when he turned unto her street.

"Later Belles, see you Monday." he said casually. Bella felt hope in that moment that they would be alright. Who was she kidding, it was Troy, her best bud. That's all.

"See ya." she said closing his door and running up the steps. He waited until she was safely inside and then drove away.

Thankfully her mother had already retired for the night. She probably looked like a convicted felon, guilty. She knew logically she shouldn't have; it was a game that everyone played. But she couldn't help but feel like she had betrayed Zach.

She dragged herself up the stairs and jumped onto her bed. She ignored the makeup she still had on her face and the fact that she was fully clothed. The slight buzz she had helped lull her to sleep. Her final thought before drifting off.

She didn't have feelings for Troy. That was final.

* * *

Bella felt better late Sunday morning. She had woken up, showered. Did some light chores around the house and enjoyed a quiet breakfast with her mother. Troy and the previous night had not crossed her mind at all and she knew then it was a fluke.

She was picking out a back to school outfit when her phone buzzed from her bed. It was Zach, he was outside. She ran down stairs and unlocked the door for him.

"Zach's here." Bella yelled to her mother and she Zach climbed the stairs to her room.

"Door open please." her mother yelled back.

Zach chuckled as Bella rolled her eyes.

"Excited about tomorrow?" Zach asked, once they were inside her bedroom.

"You have no idea." She closed her closet doors and climbed unto her bed waiting for Zach.

He kicked off his sneakers before joining her on the bed. They hung out every Sunday evening like it was their religion. Bella knew she had gone crazy to think there was something going on between her Troy. She loved Zach. She had loved him since middle. Over all those years, nothing had ever happened with Troy, not romantically anyway. Troy was only her best friend. He was there for her no matter what. He had seen her sweaty and gross after practice or a game and teased her about it. There was nothing going on. She chalked up her feelings that night to Troy being a good kisser. Nothing more, nothing less.

"How was the barn party?" he asked, sitting up against her pillows.

The first thought that flashed through her head was Troy wrapping his arms around her waist just before he kissed her. "Um, good. Fun." she said, hoping that's where his questions would stop.

"How was your bonfire?" she asked.

"Wicked awesome, I just don't think I can eat any more smores. Not for the rest of the year." Zach said patting his stomach. Bella giggled from where she laid on her stomach looking up at him.

"So," he started. His fingers were idly walking up and down her bare forearm. "You settle on any colleges yet?"

Bella groaned, the C word. She really didn't want to think about it. Ideally, she and Zach would have loved to go to the same college but that was beginning to seem like wishful thinking.

"Can we just not, please." Bella said. Zach clearly wanted to press the matter more so Bella reached up and kissed him. It was meant only to distract him. But oddly enough, while kissing the boy she had loved since middle school, her feelings for Troy had never been more clear. She abruptly pulled away from the kiss.

"What's the matter?" Zach asked as she touched her lips with her hands. Troy's kiss had felt nothing like that. It was like fireworks in her mouth. Zach, had barely gotten a spark going.

"Bella what's wrong?" Zach asked again. She realized she had been staring blankly for a minute.

"Nothing." She shook her head. "Everything's fine."

Things were the opposite of fine. Her head was about to explode with her racing thoughts about what she was going to do from here. How was she supposed to figure anything out when she was going to have see Troy everyday starting tomorrow?


End file.
